NBC orders ‘Days of Our Lives’ for 55th season

"Days of Our Lives" was renewed by NBC for a 55th season Tuesday. (Paul Drinkwater/NBC photo)

LOS ANGELES (UPI) — NBC announced Tuesday it has renewed its longest running series, Days of Our Lives, for a 55th season.

“With writing that manages to weave together Salem’s iconic characters with current realities, Ken Corday and his team have ushered the show’s legacy into a new era that resonates with both longtime and new viewers,” Bruce Evans, executive vice president of current programming for NBC Entertainment, said in a statement. “The actors and crew have such a tremendous respect for Days and what it means to fans. We believe that level of commitment shows through and touches our audience year after year.”

The soap opera won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama in April.

The show — which reached a milestone of 13,500 episodes last year — follows the lives and loves of the Brady, Horton and DiMera families. It stars John Aniston, Galen Gering, Kassie DePavia, Chandler Massey, Deidre Hall, Vincent Irizarry, Stephen Nichols, Thaao Penghlis, Greg Vaughan, James Reynolds and Kristian Alfonso.

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